The amp arrived on schedule in the Pelican case without a scratch. Thanks for the careful handling guys! I decided to start things with the EL34s. Based on Steve's earlier listening comments with the KT66s, I ordered a set of those and have them in hand as well. I'm running with a Cary SLP-98P active preamp and JansZen zA2.1 speakers.

I ran music last evening for about 5 hours and couldn't help but do some listening. I think I'm using the 8 ohm setting, no bass damping, and have the reconstructive feedback circuit active. That combination seems to be the better choices respectively. Hard to tell if that is how I have it set without markings and no MK IV user manual yet.

When the amp shipped I was sent a link to the MK III user manual which helped with tube insertion guidelines, but could not help with the new MK IV switches. I assume a dedicated manual will follow and I was able to piece together what did what from Steve's earlier feedback. I had a number of weeks to study up.

Since this is my first Decware piece I'll let others tell me what to expect during break in. I can say that, as expected, the sound needs to mellow out. The upper frequencies are a little forward and in your face, and I'm hoping the bass will emerge with a little more authority as well. I'm not concerned as this is right out of the box, but I've never owned a tube amp in the past. I do understand break in however. I had some Maggie speakers that took 6 months to fully relax enough to release the bass fully.

I'm thinking I may give the KT66s a run tonight just to get a quick feel for the differences. The fun is just starting. BTW, I did the figured black base and it looks very cool with the black top plate. My wife gave a thumbs up on the textured finish and overall look as well.

Hey Scott, congrats on being the first to report feedback on the IV! Fist "four on the floor!"

The bass will come in. The treble should mellow a bit. The midrange should bloom. It will sound considerably different in six months and there will be a significant change in about a week. . . or at least that's my experience with Deware amps.

I do expect the changes that Lon suggested, and I know it takes time. I'm not the type to not listen as it breaks in, although I did have a CD on repeat mode for the first couple of hours after I set the switches the way I thought they should be. I kind of like hearing subtle changes occur during listening. Let's call those minor OMG moments. It's all part of the fun in my book.

For the most part I listen through breakin in as well. Though the most recent component additions I've not been able to really, e.g. put the new Mk III in my second system and have nearly 1000 hours on it now, probably sat through a dozen of those hours, the rest of the time they've been just playing by themselves. Will soon put that new Mk III in the main system, but the seasoned Mk III sounds SO DARNED GOOD I really don't want to mess with it. But I would like to see how the bass controls are in the main system. That is what will make me go through the hassle (my "alone time" is so precious and so rare!) to switch the two amps eventually.

Yes, burn in is a real phenomenon with tubed equipment.Virgin EL34s tend to have sharpened Treble, muddy mids and bass.After some burn in, the treble should soften and the mids and bass will tighten up.I reckon you need 50-100 hrs minimum.

My source is an OPPO BDP-95 Universal player.I normally run my new tubes and tube amp through the entire Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Lord of the Rings movies for burn in. To me, it's more bearable than having to listen to crabby music for 100 hrs. When the sharp edges are taken off normal human speech, that's when I proceed with serious music listening.

I stuck the KT66s in last night just to give them equal time and to determine which tube type I wanted to complete the first go round of break in with. I also wanted to just make sure I didn't have any bad tubes. The first thing to note is that they are a tighter fit naturally with the bigger bottles. The back tube is maybe 1/8" from the rectifier.

The immediate sound didn't seem much different from the EL34s but by the end of the evening I would say they have more body and some of the initial bite was already coming off. Maybe better balance but way too soon to be sure. I think I will leave these in and complete a full break in before going back to the EL34s. I don't want to be changing too much too soon.

Ok Scott. So you realize that you owe me big time for sending you down the Decware path, don't you? You have a couple of albums that would make a suitable payment. I bet you think I'm joking. Alright, I guess I am. Very glad to hear about your new fun experiences. I already know how it's going to eventually sound with the Jenzsens, incredible is the word that I would pick. By Christmas, you should have both sets of tubes broken in as well as the electronics and be about 95% to the final sound. I still think mine sounds better each time I turn it on. The big question is this: When you turn your amp on, does it turn you on?I will try to get over to hear this in the next few weeks.

Hey Tom, all kidding aside I do thank you for exposing me to Decware products. I was thinking about how or if a tube amp would improve my sound but I really didn't want to break the bank and nothing else I had seen in my price range turned me on to use your phrase. Steve's products do provide a quality of sound that is very desirable and at sensible prices. All I needed was someone to show me the way.

Now, what LPs could I part with? Would you rather have Zamphir - Pan Flute or an INSX demo platter with only one cut on it?

On other Audio Forums such as Audiogon, experienced audiophiles have often remarked how the various Decware amps can often hold their own when compared against other "Branded" well known amps which cost 10x the price of a Decware amp.

If any of my friends ever needed advice on getting a new amp, Decware amps would be on the top of my list.

Decware amps can often hold their own when compared against other "Branded" well known amps which cost 10x the price of a Decware amp.

This observation was not lost on me when I researched Decware. While I take other people's raves with a grain of salt when they talk about a new piece they just bought, I do note what they gave up. I have seen virtually every major known competitor in the general price range mentioned as "prior" amps in as many reviews as I could find. Quite a few were abandoning much costlier options.

To be fair, I also went looking for reviews where Decware was the "prior" amp. Honestly, the only few of these I could find were DIY Bottlehead reviews. I can understand the joy and pride of DIY. It is natural after all that work that builders would like their effort. Perhaps the designs are also indeed well thought out and they do sound good. Decware owners seem pretty loyal and content. I'm glad to join the party.